Better Late Than Never?

When you arrange to meet friends, do you arrive at the agreed time? Or do your friends have to wait because you are always late? Perhaps you are the one waiting for your perpetually unpunctual friend. Cas Germain explains why she is always late.

Are you ever ridiculously late for things, like meeting friends or school? Or do you fall into the category of being early and annoyed at your late friends?

Are you forever making excuses “I’m just on the train now, or I’m just leaving now” when you haven’t even left the house and in fact are still drying your hair!

Are you late because you are trying to do ten things at once before leaving the house, such as brushing your teeth, and packing your bag?

There are certain times in our lives that we just cannot afford to be late, like an exam, when catching a plane, working on live television however sometimes it is “fashionable to be late.” I fall in to the category of always being late! No matter how much time I prep before a journey, I am ALWAYS late, be it by 5 minutes or half an hour.

Strangely, I become very impatient if a friend is late for our meeting.

I know there are crucial times in our lives where we just HAVE to be organised for special occasions such as exams or transport, so why can I not make this a permanent thing?

It’s not as if I don’t value my friends, job or lectures, but I feel no matter how hard I try, I’m always late!

Fear not, “every cloud has a silver lining” as the old saying goes!

People who are always late may be more creative, so perhaps my chaotic timekeeping is good for something after all.

Cas Germain is a radio interviewer / producer. You can find her on Twitter @casgermain and on her website.

On a recently broadcast radio programme, the Psychotherapist Phillipa Perry discussed why she hates unpunctuality.

Phillipa explained that she feels that making people wait is extremely rude as it is simply a matter of being better organised. She hates being late, as she prefers to arrive at an appointment refreshed, not harried and flustered.

Phillipa laughed at the suggestion put by Louise Chunn of Psychologies Magazine, that people who are always late are more creative (as Cas believes), saying that she knows plenty of punctual artists. In fact, she is married to one!

Louise tries to be on time, but is sometimes let down by public transport or an unforeseen delay. She uses her mobile phone to explain to those waiting for her that she will be late, and feels that this is acceptable.

For Phillipa, the usage of mobile phones has made being late more common as people feel that a quick call makes up for their tardiness.

Listening to Phillipa and Louise on the topic made me aware that I am often late to meet friends, and that it really is not good. In a way, being late gives the other person the impression that your time is more valuable than theirs is. This can be seen as being disrespectful.

I have resolved to try to be more punctual. I will be better prepared and not leave everything until the last minute.

“Better late than never” is often said by unpunctual people. From now on, I will attempt to be “Better never than late”.